30 posts from February 2010

February 08, 2010

I'm in Charlotte -- OK, Concord, N.C. -- but the Panthers gathered in a restaurant in Raleigh,
N.C., on Sunday evening with a few things on the agenda.

First, they needed a place to watch the Super Bowl.

Second, they were together for an annual rite of passage
around the league as Florida’s rookies treated their team to what usually is a
pricy dinner.

Rookie defenseman Dmitry Kulikov joked Saturday night that
he knows his teammates won’t buy the “left my credit card at home’’ excuse when
the bill comes, so he’s ready to just take it as it comes.

And that’s kind of how Kulikov has treated this season.

An 18-year-old when training camp opened in September,
Kulikov was told by the Panthers that he would have a chance to make the team
despite his age.

General manager Randy Sexton was ecstatic when Kulikov fell
to the Panthers at 14 in last summer’s draft, Florida having Kulikov in their
top four. Contract issues scared most teams away from the talented defenseman,
but Sexton said the team researched the issue thoroughly and figured Kulikov
could get out of it.

Once he did, Kulikov was cleared to open the season in the
big leagues.

“Making the team right out of training camp was great and it’s
been everything I thought it would be,’’ said Kulikov, now 19. “I just have to
keep playing this way and keep improving every day. I can’t be too fancy. I
have to keep things simple.’’

Kulikov had a strong training camp and looked like he
belonged in Florida’s first two games in Finland. But he looked the part of a
greenhorn in the Panthers’ first game in North America, as Kulikov got burned a
few times in Florida’s 7-2 loss to the Hurricanes in Raleigh. Kulikov was a
minus-4 in that game.

Coach Pete DeBoer says he can name the mistakes Kulikov has
made since. Saturday night, Atlanta’s Evander Kane (taken fourth in last summer’s
draft) was awarded an open net goal when Kulikov threw his stick at the puck as
it was sliding toward the net. The puck was going in anyway; Kulikov was just
trying to make a play.

“I’ve been very impressed. He’s going to be an elite NHL
defenseman, not just a good one,’’ DeBoer said. “You forget how young he is. He
looks like a seasoned veteran out there, hardly makes any mistakes. If he makes
mistakes, for me, they are out of fatigue or is out-muscled. They aren’t mental
errors or panic plays with the puck. That’s extremely rare for a defenseman
coming into this league.’’

Sexton said he enjoyed interviewing Kulikov during the draft
screening process and has enjoyed getting to know him as a member of the
Panthers. Kulikov left his family behind in Russia to play in Quebec last
season, the thought being he would improve his draft stock by showing the many
scouts he could adapt to the North American style of hockey.

Kulikov also wanted to learn how to speak English. In just
over a year, Kulikov could be considered fluent in three languages: Russian,
English and French. It’s those kind of smarts and maturity that have teammates
and coaches gushing over Kulikov’s future.

“We were lucky to get him at 14, but we did our homework,’’
said Sexton, who was Florida’s interim GM at the June Draft when Kulikov was
selected.

“He’s shown flashes that he’s going to be a special player. And I use
that term carefully. He has such a great passion for the game. He has a twinkle
in his eye like there’s no place other than the rink he would rather be. That
shows in his work and how he plays the game.’’

TRADE WORKS

Sexton said Sunday morning that the Panthers could make a
trade or two before the Olympic break kicks in this weekend. The Panthers
offense has been horrendous the past few weeks, with the team mustering just 12
goals in the past 10 games.

Sexton, who said Saturday night that he has spoken to every
other GM in the league, says he has as many as nine different trade scenarios
in the works.

“We are being active, there’s no doubt about that,’’ he
said.

(*) The Panthers have three games before taking a few weeks off
because of the Olympics. After the Panthers play host to the Bruins on
Saturday, the team won’t return to action until March 2 when Florida returns to
Atlanta.

Although some players will skate in Coral Springs during the
10 day down period, it will be on their own; the Panthers aren’t even allowed
to open up the locker room for those players. The team officially returns to
practice on Feb. 24. The league trade deadline is March 3, but moves cannot be
made during the break.

(*) The Panthers will practice at the RBC Center on Monday
afternoon before playing the Hurricanes there on Tuesday night.

February 06, 2010

ATLANTA – The Thrashers had plenty of built in excuses for a
poor performance on Saturday night.

Thanks to the monster snow storm that hit the east coast,
the team was stuck in WashingtonD.C.
after Friday’s game.

The Thrashers spent almost six hours on a bus to Virginia before
finally flying to Atlanta, arriving at their rink less than two hours before
playing the Panthers.

Florida coach Pete DeBoer knew the Thrashers might use their
predicament as a rallying point.

Sometimes, DeBoer must hate being right.

After falling behind by two goals in the opening period, the
Thrashers came from behind to beat the Panthers 4-2 in front of a raucous crowd
at Philips Arena. Saturday’s game was postponed almost an hour to allow the
Thrashers more time to get to the arena.

“We’ll be making a mistake if we think this gives us any
sort of advantage,’’ DeBoer said before the game. “I’ve seen teams in this
situation play like they have nothing to lose.’’

After the game, DeBoer said it really didn’t matter that the
Thrashers were put in a bind because at least that team was healthy. The
Panthers were playing without leading scorers Stephen Weiss and Nathan Horton
because of injuries, and the team continues to struggle offensively.

Florida held a 2-0 lead after Radek Dvorak broke his 15 game
goal-less streak by beating Johan Hedberg twice within an 11 minute span. But
the Thrashers came charging in the second and dominated the period, tying it up
on a pair of goals. Atlanta then added two more in the final 4:26.

“We don’t have Weiss or Horton in the lineup and they have a
good team with a full lineup,’’ DeBoer said angrily. “I thought we played much
better than we did at home [Friday]. But you have to give them some credit. I
don’t think it was anything we were overly poor at. They worked hard and we
couldn’t keep up.

“It has nothing to do with travel. They have a young team
with good legs. They skated. Yeah, they out-skated us in the second and third periods.
But we’re short guys. Our effort was there. We didn’t finish some of the
opportunities we had.’’

The Panthers goal woes continued as the team now has 12
goals in their past 10 games. Florida got a power play goal in Friday’s
lackluster loss to the Flames, but went 0-for-7 on the power play Saturday.

Not long after the Panthers failed to convert on their final
power play chance of the night, Niclas Bergfors -- playing in his first home
game since coming over in the Ilya Kovalchuk blockbuster deal on Thursday --
netted the game winner by scoring with 4:26 left.

Evander Kane was awarded an empty net goal after fellow
rookie Dmitry Kulikov threw his stick in the way of the puck on a breakaway.

The Panthers have lost three straight, scoring a total of
three goals in those games.

“You can’t make excuses anymore,’’ David Booth said. “You
have to be ready to play every night, especially against a team with some
travel problems. You have to finish a team off when up by two goals. We have to
start doing that. I’ve been saying that, it seems, ever since I’ve been here.’’

TRADE WINDS?

General manager Randy Sexton said he has had numerous talks
with other GMs around the league regarding possible deals but the Panthers
weren’t actively working on a trade.

“Are we happy where we are? No,’’ Sexton said. “But we need
to get on track. But, I’m going to try and make some moves between now and the
deadline if we can. It takes two to tango. If we can find a dance partner, we’ll
try to make ourselves better.’’

(*) Sexton added that there was little talk about postponing
Saturday’s game once it became apparent the Thrashers would be able to fly home
in the late afternoon.

The Thrashers spent much of the day traveling – either by
bus to Richmond, Va., or in their air charter. The team’s equipment arrived at
the arena around 6:10 p.m.

(*) Center Stephen
Weiss missed his second game since Jan. 18 with what DeBoer called a nagging
injury. Weiss got hit hard in the first period of Friday’s game against the
Flames but continued on. Weiss is on the trip and could return Tuesday against
the Hurricanes in Raleigh.

Nick Tarnasky replaced Weiss in the lineup but didn’t see
much time. He took a 10 minute misconduct in the second period.

(*) Defenseman Keaton Ellerby was recalled from Florida’s
AHL affiliate in Rochester, N.Y., to fill in for Bryan Allen. Allen is expected
to return on Tuesday.

(*) Saturday was Atlanta’s final home game until after the
Olympic break. The Thrashers next home game? March 2 against the Panthers.

CHARLOTTE -- Nasty day up in the mid-Atlantic region with Washington D.C. basically shut down because of the snow.

Of course, I see Georgetown is playing host to Villanova, so maybe it's not all bad.

The Thrashers got snowed in last night and weren't able to get out of DC.The team piled into a bus and headed south on I-95 -- destination Richmond, Va.

From what I see here and in Lauderdale, all flights to that airport are canceled too. But charter flights can sometimes get around closures that commercial flights cannot -- or will not.

Last year, Steve X. and myself got caught in a D.C. blizzard and decided to drive to Atlanta. Driving through blinding snow, it took us almost six hours to get to Richmond -- a drive that shouldn't take more than 2 1/2. The roads were an absolute mess. Apparently, the Thrashers have their own snow plow leading the way.

UPDATE: As of 3:46 p.m., the Thrashers plane was being de-iced and they were cleared to take off, although word is they had not as of 4:05. Tonight's game will not start until 7:30 at the earliest. The Thrashers will board their bus in Atlanta and go straight from the airport to the arena and begin their pregame.

I don't think this needs to be said, but the Panthers have no excuses tonight. A loss to a team that has been cooped up in a hotel, charter bus and stuck on a runway all day -- only to go straight to the rink to play a game -- would be more than embarrassing.

-- Word is the Wizards-Hawks game scheduled to be played in DC has been called off. Tomorrow's NBC game between the Caps and Pens is also in doubt.

-- Since we have snow delays and apparently the in-house camera view on television tonight (and Molls on radio) let's plan on a LIVE! blog during tonight's game. Had a real good turnout earlier in the week (course that was a Monday night with zero TV and not Super Bowl Saturday) so lets see what happens.

The South Florida media (usually just myself and Steve Gorten since Brian Y. moved to the Davie Dolphins beat) votes on the Three Stars of each Panthers home game.

We sometimes disagree and sometimes the Panthers do what they want anyway. Since we vote with seven minutes left in a game, things change and since we're on deadline, the Panthers do what they think is right yet still credit us with the selection -- whether we want it (we don't) or not.

And then something happens like tonight.

Jay Bouwmeester, he of the one assist, was apparently named the first star of Friday night's game at The Billboard.

Apparently because that's what it says on the official game sheet.

OFFICIALS

3 STARS By:South Florida Media

Referee

Linesman

#14 Dennis LaRue

#43 Brian Pochmara

#67 Pierre Champoux

#73 Vaughan Rody

Standby

Standby

1.

CGY

D

4 J.BOUWMEESTER

2.

FLA

G

29 T.VOKOUN

3.

CGY

R

26 A.KOTALIK

Only problem is, Jay wasn't selected as one of the top stars of the game so all you angry Panthers fans who thought this was some cruel joke cooked up by the two beat writers can relax.

This is just a mix up.

Here's what happened, as far as I can tell. Somehow, the top star got mixed up in the translation. The official three stars (and listen, Jay has a good case to be included here because there was really no true star tonight) were:

3. Kotalik (opening goal off Leopold's skate); 2. Vokoun (where would they be without him?) and 1. Giordano (had the game-winning goal, so why not).

This list was called up to the announcer's desk and was announced this way by PA guy Bill Murphy. But somehow Bouwmeester's name got typed into the scoreboard and put onto the official game sheet. How did this happen? The only thing I can think of is someone heard Calgary No. 5, looked at the roster and typed in No. 4 -- Bouwmeester.

Bouwmeester was not announced as the first star nor did he come out for the salute. But he is on the game sheet (for now) and I am hearing it from irate Panthers fans who thought I had something to do with it.

Well, Steve X. may have.

Just kidding. He didn't.

-- Washington D.C. can claim it has two hockey teams tonight as the Atlanta Thrashers are taking up residence because of the snow storm. Word is the Thrash are stranded for the night and will try and fly south sometime tomorrow. The Panthers are in Atlanta now, enjoying that terrific downtown nightlife I am sure.

Let's hope the Thrashers get out of town. Don't want to have to go back there for a makeup game.

Read somewhere tonight that the Penguins are going to bypass the local DC airports tomorrow (good idea says the guy stuck on a runway for 3 1/2 hours last weekend) and will land at Andrews Air Force Base so they can play the Caps on Sunday.

-- Just checking my Twitter while watching Planes, Trains and Automobiles and came across this note from

http://twitter.com/nhlrumor

This site says this an unconfirmed deal and it's too late for me to look into it -- and I'm flying in a few hours. So we'll see. Oh, yeah, the deal.

Rostislav Olesz and prospect Drew Shore (a center at the University of Denver who seems to be playing well for the Pioneers this season) to Edmonton for center Shawn Horcoff and a draft pick.

Horcoff, who has nine goals and 11 assists in 51 games this season, is signed through the next FIVE seasons averaging $5.5 million per. Ouch.

But, Olesz is signed for the next four years @ 3.125 mil per. One bad contract for another? I would think Edmonton would have to be taking something else Florida doesn't want back, or getting more coming east. Horcoff is going to be very, very, hard to move.

February 05, 2010

After another loss on Friday night,
words like brutal, frustrating and embarrassing were words spoken in
the Panthers locker room.

“That pretty much sums it up,'' coach
Pete DeBoer said grimly.

The Panthers put up just 13 shots in
Friday's 2-1 loss to Calgary at BankAtlantic Center – including a
grand total of six in the final 40 minutes. The Panthers came into
the third trailing by a goal and didn't take a shot for the first
seven minutes of the period and ended up with just two during the
point of a game where desperation was warranted.

Afterward, DeBoer said “we just got
manhandled.'' When asked how to change that, he was succinct and
candid.

With just one goal on Friday against the travel weary Flames
(they flew in from Calgary on Thursday), the Panthers have scored 10
goals in the past nine games.

“You would think when you have some
forwards who haven't scored in 14, 15, 16 games, they might want to
get their noses dirty to try and get one,'' said DeBoer.

“We
weren't interested in that tonight. .-.-. We have lines of guys who
haven't scored in 15 games. It's tough. The only way to fix that is
through free agency in the summer.''

What's DeBoer talking about?

The Panthers scored just one goal in
two games this week and have 10 in their past nine games.

Consider this: The top line of Stephen
Weiss and Michael Frolik (David Booth is scoreless in his first three
games back from injury) have combined for just one goal in the past
10 games.

And it's not just Weiss and Frolik.

In the past 10 games, Radek Dvorak,
Dominic Moore, Steven Reinprecht, Kamil Kreps and Frolik have zero
goals. Cory Stillman has three in that span, rookie Shawn Matthias
two (both against Montreal in 2-1 win).

With those kind of numbers, DeBoer was
expecting a little more effort on Friday. The Panthers took just 13
shots on Friday – two in the final period.

Despite the lack of shots on the score
sheet, the Panthers actually created enough scoring chances that, if
converted, that probably would have been good enough to win.

Ah, if only.

Florida players misfired on a number of
scoring chances during the game and was outshot by 27. Of the two
goals Vokoun gave up, one came off the skate of teammate Jordan
Leopold.

“We were completely out played,''
said Leopold, who spent the end of last season with the Flames.
“Vokoun kept us in their once again. We didn't show up to compete.
We have another game [Saturday]. Those points are important too.''

Calgary, which had come to Sunrise with
wins in just three of the past 15 games, never trailed in Friday's
game as the Flames held leads of 1-0 and 2-1.

Florida tied the score in the second
when Dennis Seidenberg whipped a shot from the right circle on a
power play chance – on one of just 11 shots taken by the Panthers
in the first 40 minutes.

The Panthers missed two open nets
(Rostislav Olesz and Radek Dvorak) and had two prime chances with
players in front (Shawn Matthias and Kamil Kreps) not able to get a
handle on the puck. Michael Frolik also snapped one off the goal post
early in the third.

In the second, just before Calgary
scored what would be the game-winning goal, Stephen Weiss and Dvorak
got loose on a short handed chance. Weiss slid a pretty cross-ice
pass to Dvorak and with goalie Miikka Kiprusoff out of position, the
Panthers had a great chance to take the lead. Only Dvorak couldn't
connect.

A minute later, Mark Giordano did,
taking a long shot from 35 feet out. The puck found a way over
Vokoun's shoulder and the Flames were back in front.

“We just spent too much time in our
zone and when we got it across, we didn't have enough energy to get
anything done,'' said Weiss. “We spent all our energy in our own
zone. That's a game, looking at their travel and us being off all
week, should be in the bank. We didn't get it done. It's
disappointing. We have so many different intentions before the game
and see it end like that, it's frustrating. We'll regroup and have a
better effort [Saturday].''

Calgary took a 1-0 lead late in the
first as former Florida defenseman Jay Bouwmeester – lustily booed
every time he touched the puck – fired a puck toward the net on a
power play chance. Bouwmeester's shot found the recently acquired
Ales Kotalik and his shot bounced off of Leopold's skate and past
Vokoun with 9.4 seconds left in the period.

Bouwmeester was hit in the back by a large rubber rat as the game ended and he was skating toward his bench. He didn't seem to notice it.

-- Word from Kevin O. in Rochester is that Keaton Ellerby is expected to be recalled by the Panthers for tomorrow's game in the 'ATL.' Bet here is that they are giving Bryan Allen's knee the night off.

February 04, 2010

Not much going on right now, what with GM Randy Sexton in Rochester and the Panthers not playing for a few days.

The big news around town is the return of Jay Bouwmeester.

'Big Bo' returns to the
BankAtlantic Center on Friday night for the first time since he
played his final game there with the Panthers on April 11, 2009.

Bouwmeester refused to sign a long-term
deal with the Panthers and, in June, was traded to Calgary where he
almost immediately signed a five-year pact with the Flames.

One of the reasons Bouwmeester wanted
out of Florida was because of the lack of passion that exists for
hockey in the sunny south.

In Calgary, the hockey team is the biggest
thing going. Teammates in Florida weren't exactly surprised when he
left after seven years with the franchise.

“I'm used to playing with him, not
against him, but when the game starts, that's out the door,'' said
Stephen Weiss, Bouwmeester's teammate since 2002. “We'll get our
hellos in before the game, but then it's all business. We were pretty
close. We came here at about the same time, spent a lot of time in
the early years together. We became pretty close buddies.''

Said coach Pete DeBoer: “I think
we're going to see the best of Bo here. He's going to be skating with
the puck, moving and jumping into the play. When he's at the top of
his game, he's hard to handle.''

Yet when the Flames struggle, it's not
much fun to be playing in Calgary. On Wednesday, the Flames won for
just the third time in 15 games. General manager Darryl Sutter made
two big trades in the past week, trading All-Star defenseman Dion
Phaneuf to Toronto and former Panthers captain Olli Jokinen to the
Rangers.

When Bouwmeester was with the Panthers
and they were struggling – which was often – no big deal. In
Calgary?

“There are obviously differences
between the two places, but honestly this has been good,'' said
Bouwmeester. “I knew what I was getting into. People are pretty
passionate about their hockey up here and they take some pride in the
team. If you are doing well, it affects the city in a good way. They
take pride in their hockey here. There's an obvious interest.''

Bouwmeester hasn't been the player the
Flames had hoped for on the offensive end – and he's starting to
feel the heat for it. Bouwmeester scored 15 goals in each of the past
two seasons with the Panthers. Through 57 games this season, he has
two. Bouwmeester says he's not letting the criticism affect his game.

“This year has brought a lot of ups
and downs,'' said Bouwmeester, who faced the Panthers this preseason
in Calgary. “The offensive side of things haven't gone the way I
would have liked. That's been the case for a lot of guys around here.
It's one of those things where take it a day at a time. I want to bring success, but it's been
a little bit hard to come by.

Jordan Leopold, who came to the
Panthers from Calgary in the summertime trade, says it's hard to
shield yourself from criticism in a Canadian hockey market. There
were a lot of expectations for the Flames this season – many
preseason publications had them as a Stanley Cup contender from the
west – and now the team is struggling just to make the playoffs.

The Flames beat Carolina 4-1 on
Wednesday to give them two wins in their past three – albeit
against two of the worst teams in the league. Friday's game in
Sunrise kicks off a three-game road trip, a stint away from home that
may be welcomed.

For Bouwmeester, this is just another
road game for him. He never put down roots in South Florida and
seemed like he couldn't wait to get out of town during the offseason.
This region isn't for everyone – and it definitely wasn't to
Bouwmeester's liking. A native of Edmonton, Bouwmeester has found his
way home although he says he does have a number of fond memories of
his time with the Panthers.

“I don't really have too many
expectations of what's going to happen,'' he said. “We're going to
play a game and move on. I'm not really treating it as a big deal.
There are some people I'd like to see, sure, but we're not there for
very long. It won't be a big distraction.''

BOOTH UP FRONT

David Booth was back on Florida's top
line as early as the second period on Monday. He'll start Friday's
game there as well, reunited with Weiss at center. This will be
Booth's third game back from a 45 game absence because of a
concussion.

The Panthers hope the revamped top line
will create some offensive production. Both Weiss and Michael Frolik
have struggled of late. Weiss has one goal in nine games; Frolik one
in 11.

“I don't think there's any doubt we
have a couple of guys who need to find their offensive game,'' DeBoer
said of a team that has nine goals in eight games. “We have to make
sure we're giving those guys an opportunity, but it's not a job for
life on that line. If you don't produce, you might want to give other
people a chance.''

MORE BO ON OLLI

The Flames are a much different team today than they were a few days ago. Gone is Phaneuf as well as Jokinen.

"This is one of those things where we're in it
as a team,'' Bouwmeester said about the Flames' struggles.

"It's not one guy doing his thing on his own. With all these
changes and stuff, I think on paper, we're good from a forward
standpoint. We have a whole bunch of forwards, lot of depth there. We hope
to start clicking right away. Get off and running.

"You don't really think about those
[trades] too much. The way it went down with the rumors and it finally
happened lad night, had everyone on edge. This time a week ago, no,
not worrying about that kind of thing. I think it was a roller
coaster for [Olli], not knowing what was going on.

"I saw him last night
when he was leaving. He would have liked to stay, but he realized the
situation. He's getting a fresh start.''

-- And for those of you who don't like reading about Bo and Olli, here's a little something for you. I wrote this in the summer when the Panthers visited Calgary.

It's obvious Jokinen still has a soft
spot in his heart for the Panthers. And he can't wait to return to
Sunrise for the first time since being traded away when Calgary
visits on Feb. 5.

''They had a good run last year and
hopefully this year they can make the playoffs this year,'' said
Jokinen, who spent most of the summer with his wife Katerina and
their daughters at their Broward County home.

''I especially wish
that for the fans in South Florida. They deserve to see playoff
hockey. They have been very supportive all these years. The Panthers
came close, hopefully they take that extra step. .-.-. In February,
it'll be a lot of fun there. It'll be strange being on the other
side.''

FRIDAY: FLAMES AT PANTHERS

When, Where: 7:30 p.m.; BankAtlantic
Center, Sunrise

TV/Radio: FSNF; WAXY-790

The series: Calgary leads 11-6-3

The game: The Flames are making just
their third appearance in Sunrise since 2002. The Panthers have
gotten three of four points in the previous two home games. Calgary
has won two of three – although those wins were against Edmonton
and Carolina. The Flames have won just three of their past 15
(3-9-3). Thanks to a couple of trades, the Flames will have eight
fairly new faces in the lineup. Tomas Vokoun will start in net Friday
and likely again Saturday in Atlanta.

February 02, 2010

Those of hoping to see Olli Jokinen at The Billboard on Friday when the Flames come to town will now have to wait until the Rangers come to town in April.

The former Panthers captain was traded to the Rangers tonight following the Flames 3-0 loss to the visiting Flyers.

Y'all will just have to settle for Jay Bouwmeester and Nik Hagman.

Jokinen spoke to the media in Calgary after Monday's game and the trade that officially followed it.

Hard to believe the Flames held off on this deal until they played the Flyers. One more game made that much of a difference?

"Eleven months ago, when I got traded here I was hoping I could stay
here the rest of my career, but like I say it’s a brutal business,’’ Jokinen told The Calgary Herald, quoted as he was leaving the Saddledome.

"That’s the way it goes. It comes with the salary. When you make $5
million dollars, 11 goals is not going to cut it. It’s definitely a slap in the face to get traded.’’

He also said this about playing in a game -- for a team -- knowing the trade was going down. Word was his wife Katerina went to the game knowing a deal was going to happen soon after the game concluded.

That has to be a strange feeling, but hopefully she got to say goodbye to all the friends she made in Calgary. Just like she had to say goodbye to all those friends in Phoenix -- and South Florida -- before.

Remember, it wasn't just Olli being traded. It was his family as well.

Like in Florida, Olli was always good at looking at the big picture, knowing that his financial situation won't buy him sympathy from some fans out there struggling to make it in the real world.

"This is what we do for a living,'' he said. "We make good money. We get paid good
dollars. [Moving] is the sacrifices we have to do."

Olli isn't headed east to New York just yet. According to reports, he's on his way to California to meet up with the Rangers in Los Angeles. Sports is funny this way, yes? Olli's NHL career started with the Kings before he headed to the Islanders.

Olli came to the Panthers from the Islanders, and this is where he enjoyed his greatest success as a pro. He didn't want to leave the Panthers, know that.

But his actions on the ice in the final weeks of the 2007-08 season all but dictated he had to go. As captain of the Panthers, he lost a room that he had owned months before.

Players who had his back saw what appeared to them as him turning his back on the franchise and hampering the team's chances to make the playoffs to rid them of their coach for reasons as personal as they were professional.

Jacques Martin knew this as well.

When JM was fired as coach but asked to stay on as GM, there was little doubt he was going to trade Olli.

After all, it was Olli's uninspired play down the stretch that helped facilitate JM being fired as coach -- a job he still feels he should still have.

Of course, now looking back, perhaps there was something else there. Olli hasn't put up the same kind of numbers since his skate accidentally slashed Richard Zednik in the neck in Buffalo on Feb. 10, 2008.

Look at the stats: In the first 58 games during the 2007-08 season -- including the goal in Buffalo -- Jokinen had 27 goals and 29 assists (0.97 points per game).

After that, he finished with seven goals and eight assists in 24 games (0.63).

In the 156 games since the Zednik incident, Jokinen has 47 goals and 60 assists (0.69 points per game) for the Panthers, Coyotes and Flames. During his top five seasons with the Panthers (2002-08), Jokinen scored 374 points in 409 games (0.91).

"You play for that sweater, that logo on the
front, as long as they tell you you’re part of the team. It
was a long day. I obviously heard everything yesterday. Last night, I
was kind of surprised. It was a big day yesterday. Dion got traded. I,
obviously, wasn’t expecting to get moved. It’s part of the business.
I’ve got to move on."

-- Of course, it won't cost much to see Friday's game against the Flames.

Swing on over to Quarterdeck across from Sawgrass Mills and pick up some freebies.

They have plenty.

-- Jokinen photos courtesy of The Calgary Herald; Photo at right courtesy of George Richards' cellphone.

February 01, 2010

Since tonight's game is blacked out around the world (don't ask for an online feed because there isn't one), I figured those of you not inside the Sunrise Arena could come on here and talk a little hockey.

We'll get this cranked up in earnest closer to game time, but if there's a question you want answered, go ahead and send it off to me and I'll try my best to answer it.

These LIVE! blogs have been fun in the past so we should have a good spirited discussion tonight.

I hope. I'm a little under the weather today but I hope to bring my fastball with me to the arena. Going to pick up some soup and rice on the way in. Hope that invigorates me.

Sure is apropos that the Anaheim Mighty Ducks of Los Angeles are in town what with all this rain.

At least the Colts will feel right at home when they land today. Wasn't it raining the last time they were here for a Super Bowl?

Anyone watch the Grammys last night?

Me neither. But congrats go out to the pop sensation 'Milli Vanilli' for their Grammy wins. They are pictured at left. Solid work by the Grammy folks there. I'm sure we're going to enjoy those two for years and years. Very original sound.

Anywho, there was some more awards handed out.

Tomas Vokoun, lead goalie for the band Pantero, was named the league's Third Star for the month of January. Good for Vokoun. What a month, eh? Four shutouts, five straight wins at home to close things out.

Pretty nice.

Feburary starts tonight though.

-- TSN says the Calgary trade with the Rangers is on hold for now and it appears that Olli Jokinen will be in the lineup tonight when the Flames welcome the Flyers to the Saddledome. Olli usually had good games against Philly when he was with the Panthers...

The hold up, according to Larry Brooks, is Ales Kotalik weighing his options. He has a limited no movement clause apparently. He, at least he might play in Calgary. Kotalik has been scratched in eight of the past nine according to Brooks.

-- Kenndal McArdle says he's not going to change the way he plays whether he's in Rochester or north Weston. He tells Kevin O. of The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle that "I can say they were happy with how I was playing," McArdle said.
"Where they want me to play is not my choice. But at the end of the
day, coming back is not a negative thing or a reflection on how I'm
playing."

-- Don't forget, LIVE! chat tonight during the Ducks-Panthers game. Game is not on any TV, so either watch Versus, hang out with us online or come on down to the rink. I'm sure there are great seats still available.

-- Nick Boynton, the one-time Panther D-man who didn't get along with Pete DeBoer very well, will not be in the Anaheim lineup tonight. According to TSN's Bob McKenzie, Boynton was put on waivers today. I always liked Nick. Very candid, a good quote. Hope he's in the press box tonight, although I doubt that.